Claysburg, Pennsylvania — Should parents leave their kids unsupervised while skiing? While some mountains claim that they’re a great spot because all the trails and lifts lead to one place, there are still risks for families. That’s what one couple is figuring out after a kid’s fall from a chairlift at a Pennsylvania ski resort.
WTAJ reports that the parents of a five-year-old are facing one felony charge each due to the lack of supervision, which led to their son being hurt. Micah Porter and Maya Porter were jailed and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Both were released on unsecured bail (meaning the bail is to be paid at a future date).
What Happened?
That day, the family went on a trip to Blue Knob All Seasons Resort. However, the five-year-old was more skilled than their mother, which led to the kid and his brother going down on more difficult runs, while the mother went down easier pistes. This led to seperation of the two parties. Eventually, it got to a point where the boy was riding the lift by himself. A lift operator asked his dad about this, and his father said that he was experienced enough to ride it on his own.
The family typically skied at Tussey Mountain, which requires that people under 51 inches ride with an adult. However, Blue Knob doesn’t have that policy. You’d have to imagine that changing their policy is now a consideration.
Gary Deitke, Blue Knob’s Mountain Manager, stated to authorities that the kid fell after losing his balance while trying to readjust his goggles. He was reportedly alone on the chairlift when the situation transpired. After a fall of 20 feet, he was treated with a neck brace and transported to a hospital in Pittsburgh. What saved him was his helmet, which the parents reportedly researched thoroughly before buying. It took around fifteen minutes to notify the parents of the fall. Following the incident, Deitke reached out to both the kid and his parents to see how they are doing.
“The lack of direct supervision of a five year old child led to this child falling 20 feet from a ski lift to snow-covered ground. Furthermore, it took approximately 15 minutes to locate the child’s parents, who were unaware of the incident at the time,” stated the affidavit.
Views among the skiing community are mixed. Some are pointing to the charges as overreach, as many kids do ride the lifts without adult supervision. This practice also has its faults, as the kids could fall under the safety bar, which is mainly designed to protect adults. Others faulted the parents for their decision-making, but still saw the move to prosecute them as extreme. Part of the reasoning behind the skeptics of the charges is that, while we don’t know their parenting methods beyond skiing, these charges will create mistrust between parents and their kids for the rest of their lives. However, it could also be argued that skiing is an inherently dangerous sport, and parents need to act as if that’s the case.
The situation shows that parents need to be cautious when supervising their kids, or a scenario like this could unfold. Ultimately, it’s hard not to see this situation as a win for helicopter parents.
Image/Video Credits: Blue Knob All Seasons Resort, ADHSki
